The arrival of winter has adorned Qixia, a well-known apple production base in Yantai, Shandong province in snow. At an orchard in Qixia's Xicheng town, the snow-covered apples hanging from the branches have created a captivating sight, with their vibrant red skin glistening in the snow.

The apples, also known as "snow apples", hang on the branches about a month longer than other varieties. Due to the significant temperature differences around the late autumn and early winter, the sugar in the flesh diffuses and condenses repeatedly. This makes the apples sweeter than other varieties.

Under the new cultivation and management model from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the newly developed apple variety has become another way for Qixia fruit farmers to increase their incomes.

People harvest apples after a snowfall in Qixia, a major apple production base in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo by Luan Qincheng/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Snow-covered apples at an orchard in Qixia's Xicheng town. [Photo by Luan Qincheng/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

People take photos of the snow-covered apples at an orchard in Qixia's Xicheng town. [Photo by Luan Qincheng/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]